Toph
Toph Bei Fong is an earthbending master and renowned throughout the world for the part she played in ending the war amongst the nations. She is currently travelling the world with a messneger hawk named Aakesh, an ocelotter named Chitra and a student named Mahin. History Toph is the only child of the powerful Bei Fong family. Even though she was born blind she is far from helpless, though she played the part of the frail little girl for the sake of her parents for many years. But she could only take so much of their over-bearing over-protectiveness and would often run away to escape it for a while. It was during one of these unsupervised excursions that she met the badgermoles who took a liking to her. Also blind, the badgermoles taught her to 'see' through vibrations in the earth and this is the basis for her unique form of earthbending. This also allows her to sense minute particles of earth in metal, necessary in order to metalbend, a talent that is so far known only to her. She can also detect changes in a person's breathing and heart rate which indicates that the person is lying. She is a veteran of the underground Earth Rumble Tournament, participating under the pseudonym of The Blind Bandit, and as long-term champion she has amassed her own personal fortune. It was at the sixth such tournament that she was approached by the Avatar who asked her to be his earthbending teacher. Reluctant at first, she eventually agreed to travel with the small group of friends when she realised doing so would give her the freedom she'd always desired. Initially something of an ill fit in the group, she found her place with them after a heart to heart chat with the incognito Iroh, with whom she has become very close friends, thinking of him more as family than her own parents. She was instrumental in bringing the reformed Zuko into the group as she was the only one who didn't posses a dark history with the former (at the time) Fire Nation Prince, and so helped to provide the Avatar with his firebending teacher as well. After the war she attempted a reconciliation with her parents but they soon fell into their old habits of treating her as a helpless, porcelain doll, so she left home yet again. She travelled the Earth Kingdom for quite some time, making new friends and learning far more than she even had from the back of a sky bison. She did not seen much of her old friends during that time except for their regular gatherings at the Jasmine Dragon. These get-togethers were getting more and more uncomfortable for her as her 'coupled-up' friends were forever trying to match her up with some boy or another and seem incapable of accepting the fact that she is quite happy being by herself. It was during one of these visits that she received a letter from her parents, begging her to come home. They wanted her to be a part of their lives and were willing to do anything to have her back. She had no intention of returning as she didn't fully trust them, but Katara convinced her that family is one of the most important things in life. Toph's instincts turned out to be correct as she returned only to find they had arranged a marriage for her. She would have no part of it and left, this time for good. Her potential father-in-law swore he would see her fulfil her promise...but it was not a promise she had made and she has no intention of going through with the nuptials. She travelled some more, eventually settling in Ba Sing Se where she could be close to Iroh. She bought a house in the Upper Ring with some of her Earth Rumble winnings, and is constantly 'renovating' it with her earthbending. The Earth King has been offering her Long Feng's old position, Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se, in the hopes that she'll build a new Dai Li for him. She hasn't accepted the offer, not wishing to tie herself so irreversibly to such a high position within the walls of Ba Sing Se, and thus loose the freedom that she has worked so hard to obtain...but she considers it as something of a back-up plan... She had all but lost contact with her friends when Aang arrived to take her to the Fire Nation for Zuko and Mai’s wedding, a wedding that never happened, though she was not to learn of this for some time. At a Fire Nation festival held on Ember Island shortly before the intended nuptials, she was strongly encouraged by both Katara and Suki (and a passing Mai) to dance with a shy young man. Unbeknown to her, he was in fact Mahin Baihuai, the boy her parents had arranged for her to marry, and his invitation to dance was part of his father’s plan to abduct her. She soon discovered that he was as against the arrangement as she was and they quickly made their own arrangements. He would help her escape and she would teach him the art of earthbending, something his father had always denied him. They have been travelling together ever since. Friends and Associates Aang – Toph is still close to the Avatar though she doesn't see him much. She continues to needle him and still refers to him as 'Twinkle Toes' whenever they meet. Katara – Toph has grown more fond of 'Sugar Queen' as she's matured, seeing the wisdom and caring in her interfering ways of their youth...though she still enjoys dragging her through the mud. Mahin – Toph's first student after the Avatar. Though coming from a similar background, he is her polar opposite...articulate, refined and tactful. She is as yet unsure what to make of him. Mai – Toph has never known what to make of the perpetually sullen Fire Nation noble. She doesn't dislike her, but she's never been able to get close to her either. She does enjoy calling her 'Chuckles', however, mostly because Mai hates it! Sokka – Toph has well and truly outgrown her crush on the Water Tribe warrior, though she sometimes misses the goofball of old and will do whatever she can to bring it out. Suki – Toph never felt all that close to the Kyoshi Warrior, for very obvious reasons, but greatly respects her. Zuko – Toph always felt a special bond with the young Fire Nation royal due to their similar backgrounds (both born into influential families who never appreciated them). Category:Canon Characters Category:Earth Kingdom Category:The Dawn Category:Noblemen Category:Sifus